Venice + Florence + Rome 7 Days

Activities

1. 08:30 St Mark's Basilica + Pala d'Oro + Campanile 2 hours

   11th-century Byzantine basilica with 4,200 sq m gold mosaic ceiling. Pala d'Oro altarpiece. Campanile bell tower for canonical Piazza San Marco panorama.

   Cost: Basilica free; Pala d'Oro €6; Campanile €11 TIP: Sunrise (8 AM) is empty. Pre-book Pala d'Oro slot. Shoulders + knees covered.
2. 11:00 Doge's Palace + Bridge of Sighs (Secret Itineraries tour) 3 hours

   1340 Venetian government seat for 500 years. Secret Itineraries guided tour ($30 add-on) covers hidden chambers + Casanova's prison cell.

   Cost: $35 + $30 Secret tour ($65 total) TIP: Pre-book mandatory. Secret Itineraries tour is the upgrade — better than standard.
3. 14:00 Lunch — Cantina do Mori (1462, world's oldest bacaro) 1 hour

   560+ year heritage bacaro — Casanova mentioned it. Francobolli + tramezzini + ombra wine ($15-30/person).

   Cost: €12-25 ($15-30) TIP: Cash + card. Stand-up only. Closed Sundays. The canonical Venice cicchetti experience.
4. 15:30 Rialto Bridge + Rialto Market afternoon 1.5 hours

   1591 stone bridge over Grand Canal. Rialto Market afternoon walk (morning is best for produce, but afternoon for the architecture).

   Cost: Free TIP: Photo from Riva del Vin steps. Combine with Bacareto Da Lele or All'Arco cicchetti.
5. 17:00 Gondola at sunset (30 min) 30 min

   Standardized 30-min ride from gondola station near St. Mark's. Sunset over canals + bridges + serenade option ($90 + $50 serenade).

   Cost: €80-110 ($90-120) TIP: Share with strangers (legal + normal) to split cost. Sunset slot most popular — pre-book. Standardized prices at official stations.
6. 20:00 Dinner — Trattoria alla Madonna (1954, Bourdain's spot) 2 hours

   Iconic Venetian seafood — Risotto al nero di seppia + Sarde in Saor + Fritto Misto. Anthony Bourdain's Venice spot.

   Cost: €40-80 ($45-90) TIP: Reservations for 6+. Walk-in for smaller. Closed Wednesdays. Cash + card.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:00 Vaporetto Fondamente Nove → Murano (15 min) 2.5 hours

   Vaporetto 4.1 + 4.2. Free glass-blowing demonstrations at Murano factories + Murano Glass Museum (€10).

   Cost: Vaporetto day pass $25 + Museum $10 TIP: Vaporetto 24h day pass covers all islands. Free workshop demonstrations.
2. 12:00 Lunch — Trattoria al Gatto Nero (Burano, 1965) 2 hours

   Bourdain's Venice lunch spot. 1965-founded. Risotto di Gò (canonical Venetian rice dish with go fish — impossible to find elsewhere) + crab pasta.

   Cost: €50-100 ($55-110) TIP: Book 1+ week ahead — Bourdain effect. Closed Mondays. Cash + card.
3. 14:30 Burano colorful island walking 2.5 hours

   Rainbow-painted fishermen's houses + lace-making heritage. Italy's most-photographed village. 12-16 best photography window.

   Cost: Free TIP: Iconic photo location. Bring extra battery. Lace museum (€5) is the heritage option.
4. 17:00 Torcello (Venice's oldest island, 5th century) 1.5 hours

   Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (639 AD) with canonical Byzantine mosaics. Venice's oldest island, abandoned by 1500s.

   Cost: Cathedral €5 ($6) TIP: Combine with Burano (vaporetto 5 min apart). Locanda Cipriani (Hemingway's haunt) for dinner if 5+ day trip.
5. 19:30 Dinner — Quadri (★) or Da Fiore (★) — Venice finale 3 hours

   Quadri (★ Piazza San Marco direct view, $165-330) or Da Fiore (★ seafood, $130-250).

   Cost: €120-300 ($130-330) TIP: Book 1-2 months ahead.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:00 Venice → Florence Frecciarossa (2h 5min) 2 hours

   Venezia Santa Lucia → Firenze Santa Maria Novella. €30-80 ($32-86).

   Cost: €30-80 TIP: Pre-book 2-3 weeks ahead.
2. 11:00 Florence arrival + hotel + Trattoria Mario lunch (1953) 2 hours

   Heritage trattoria — Bistecca alla Fiorentina value champion ($20-30 vs $50-100 elsewhere). Cash only, no reservations.

   Cost: €20-30 ($22-32) TIP: Cash only. Queue 11:30-14:30. Closed Sundays.
3. 14:00 Uffizi Gallery (Botticelli + Da Vinci) 3 hours

   Birth of Venus + Primavera + Caravaggio + Da Vinci. Pre-book at uffizi.it 2-4 weeks ahead.

   Cost: €37 ($40) skip-the-line TIP: Closed Mondays. Audio guide €5.
4. 17:30 Duomo Square + Ponte Vecchio + sunset 2 hours

   Brunelleschi's Dome + Bell Tower + Baptistery + Ponte Vecchio (1345). Iconic Florence sunset.

   Cost: Combined Duomo €28 (next-day tour) TIP: Ponte Vecchio sunset is canonical photo.
5. 20:00 Dinner — Trattoria Sostanza (1869) 2 hours

   155+ year heritage. Petti di Pollo al Burro signature + Bistecca.

   Cost: €30-50 ($32-55) TIP: Book 1+ week ahead. Cash only.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:00 Accademia Gallery (Michelangelo's David) 1.5 hours

   5.17m David (1504). Pre-book at galleria-accademia.it.

   Cost: €19 ($20) skip-the-line TIP: Closed Mondays. Photography allowed (no flash).
2. 11:00 Mercato Centrale (1874) lunch + Nerbone Lampredotto 2 hours

   1874 covered market. Nerbone (1872) Lampredotto $5 — Bourdain's favorite Florentine food.

   Cost: €10-25 ($11-28) TIP: Cash + card. Closed Sundays for Nerbone.
3. 13:30 Pitti Palace + Boboli Gardens (Oltrarno) 3 hours

   Medici palace + 45-hectare Renaissance garden. 5 museums + baroque garden.

   Cost: €20 ($22) combined TIP: Palatine Gallery's Raphael collection is highlight.
4. 17:30 Piazzale Michelangelo (sunset) 1.5 hours

   Florence's iconic sunset viewpoint. Duomo + Ponte Vecchio + Arno 360° view.

   Cost: Free TIP: 25-min walk uphill or bus 12/13. Sunset is canonical.
5. 19:30 Dinner — Buca dell'Orafo (1945) or Cibreo (1979) 2.5 hours

   Buca dell'Orafo (Ponte Vecchio nearby, $45-90) or Cibreo (Sant'Ambrogio, Michelin-recommended, $70-180).

   Cost: €40-150 ($45-165) TIP: Book 1+ week ahead.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 10:00 Santa Croce + Leather School 2.5 hours

   1294 basilica — Galileo, Michelangelo buried here. Leather School (1950) free demonstrations.

   Cost: €8 ($9) basilica TIP: Leather School is canonical Florentine leather shopping.
2. 12:30 Lunch — All'Antico Vinaio (1991) + Vivoli Gelato (1930) 1.5 hours

   Italy's iconic Schiacciata sandwich ($7-10) + Florence's heritage gelato ($5-10).

   Cost: €10-20 ($11-22) TIP: All'Antico Vinaio 4 locations on Via dei Neri — shortest queue.
3. 14:30 Oltrarno + Santo Spirito artisan walk 2.5 hours

   Bohemian quarter across the Arno. Brunelleschi's Santo Spirito Basilica (1428, free) + leather workshops.

   Cost: Free TIP: Santo Spirito Square's evening atmosphere is canonical.
4. 19:30 Farewell Florence — Enoteca Pinchiorri (★★★) 3 hours

   Florence's only 3-Michelin — €250-500 9-12 course tasting. 4,000+ wine cellar.

   Cost: €250-500 ($275-550) TIP: Book 1-2 months ahead. Jacket required.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:00 Florence → Rome Frecciarossa (1h 30min) 1.5 hours

   Firenze Santa Maria Novella → Roma Termini. €30-80.

   Cost: €30-80 TIP: Pre-book.
2. 10:00 Rome arrival + hotel + lunch — Roscioli (1972) 2 hours

   Salumeria Roscioli — canonical Carbonara + Cacio e Pepe.

   Cost: €40-70 ($45-77) TIP: Book 1+ week ahead.
3. 13:00 Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill 3.5 hours

   70-80 AD Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill emperors' palaces. Combined ticket €18.

   Cost: €18 ($20) TIP: Pre-book at coopculture.it 1+ week ahead. Skip-the-line $30-50.
4. 17:30 Trevi Fountain + Spanish Steps (evening) 1.5 hours

   Trevi Fountain (1762, throw coin over shoulder) + Spanish Steps. Free.

   Cost: Free TIP: 20:00+ fewer crowds.
5. 20:00 Dinner — La Pergola (★★★ Cavalieri Hilton) 3 hours

   Rome's only 3-Michelin restaurant. Chef Heinz Beck. €300-500 tasting.

   Cost: €300-500 ($330-550) TIP: Book 2+ months ahead. Jacket mandatory.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:00 Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel + St. Peter's Basilica 4 hours

   Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel (Michelangelo's ceiling) + St. Peter's. Pre-book mandatory.

   Cost: €17-30 ($19-33) TIP: Pre-book at museivaticani.va. Skip-the-line $40-70 strongly recommended (queue is 2-3h).
2. 13:00 Lunch — Da Enzo al 29 (Trastevere 1990) 1.5 hours

   Iconic Trastevere trattoria — canonical Roman Cacio e Pepe + Carbonara + Amatriciana.

   Cost: €30-50 ($33-55) TIP: No reservations — 1h queue. Cash + card.
3. 15:00 Pantheon + Piazza Navona 2 hours

   Pantheon (27 BC + 126 AD reconstructed, €5) + Piazza Navona (Bernini's Fountain of Four Rivers).

   Cost: €5 ($5.50) TIP: Walking only between sites.
4. 17:00 Roma Termini → FCO airport 2 hours

   Airport Leonardo Express (€14, 30 min) or taxi (€50, 35 min).

   Cost: €14 ($15) TIP: Arrive 2.5h before international flight.

Meal Recommendations